Our last post examined how BriskHeat’s Freeze Protection Planning Guide and Checklist can be used for industry and small business. The planning guide can also be used to help you prepare your home for the cold winter ahead.
Icicles hanging from roofs and gutters make for pretty winter photographs, but they can also prove to be dangerous to people and property. When snow and ice accumulate in gutters and downspouts, they prevent water flow. Eventually, the gutters are filled with water, freezing, overflowing, and forming icicles. The formation of ice in gutters is referred to as Ice Dams because the ice prevents water from flowing to the gutters and downspouts. The sun may melt some of the snow, but cold temperatures only serve to increase the size of these icicles. Rather than making for a pretty winter scene, you now have a dangerous situation. The weight of these can cause them to break unexpectantly, causing injury to anyone passing below. Additional ice on driveways is a slip-hazard, but also could damage property below. Structural damage may be caused by the weight pulling down gutters or having ice form under your roofing materials.
Ice dams are “snow problem” with BriskHeat SpeedTrace Roof & Gutter kits. Use the planning guide to determine the length of cable required for keeping your roof, gutters, and downspouts free from snow and ice. With a maximum continuous temperature of 149°F (65°C), it will not damage roofing materials by producing excessive heat. The kits include everything you need for installation including cable, downspout hangers, roof clips, cable ties and caution labels. Add a Thermocube to automatically cut power to the cable when temperatures are above 45°F (7°C). SpeedTrace cable can be purchased separately.
XtremeFlex® MSTAT tapes are moisture resistant, plug-and-play silicone heating tapes with built-in adjustable thermostats. The MSTAT tapes have a maximum temperature of 160°F (71°C). Keep these in your tool chest or garage for emergency deicing of gutters, downspouts, or uninsulated pipes along exterior walls. SRL-ADJ Silicone Rubber Heating Blankets can be used for emergency deicing of driveways, patios, or front porches. Insul-Lock closed foam insulators are available in straight sections, 90° elbows and tees. These can be used on pipes in barns, garages, and along exterior walls either with or without heating cables or tapes. They can also be used to improve energy efficiency on pipes from hot water tanks. Insul-EZ adhesive-backed sheet insulation can be used to insulate heating ducts from furnaces.
Pretty as they may be, don’t allow ice dams to form icicles on your gutters. BriskHeat’s Freeze Protection Planning Guide and Checklist has freeze protection solutions for your home as well as your business. Download the guide from our website, then call your local distributor or our sales team to discuss your individual needs.